Hasta La Ideas

There’s no denying the fact that mobile devices, especially smartphones take up a major chunk of our time, be it for killing time or productive tasks. Placing the phone ergonomically for a better viewing position while consuming multimedia content or working at the desk is where a stand comes in handy.

Of course, you need to charge your phone if binge-watching is your thing, and this is where a power bank is useful. If you get both in one accessory then it’s even better.

Designer: 白底图

Dubbed Solove, this ergonomic kickstand for both Apple and Android smartphones is a simple yet useful accessory for work-from-home regimes or content consumption while sitting back comfortably. The stand is loaded with a wireless charging pad to juice up your phone, and can be charged with a USB cable too. For Apple devices, the MagSafe-compatible wireless charger sticks to the base, so you can carry it around. When in the standing position the accessory’s own weight (it’s a battery bank, remember) makes it more sturdy and less prone to accidentally toppling over with a slight nudge.

The kickstand comes with clips on the front to hold the phone in place while sitting on a desk or table. On the back, there’s a retractable kick-stand that can be concealed in the battery bank when not needed. When the battery bank’s power starts to deplete it can be charged via the wall outlet just like any other battery bank. Although this accessory is still a concept, it could easily make for a viable real product that people would love buying, since it fuses two useful accessories into one without compromising on the form factor.

Solove comes in a pearl white finish that lends it a premium character and keeps all the indicators and icons in clear view. Making it in matte black would be another feasible option for people who have black-colored devices, still, I would go for the color that the designer chose!

The post This smartphone kickstand doubles as battery bank with wireless charging capability first appeared on Yanko Design.

They say that the eyes are the mirror to one’s soul, which is a beautiful thought, but when it comes to doing up my hair, I do prefer a big bold mirror. Have you ever paid attention to the mirrors people place in their homes? They’re usually simple reflective surfaces with probably a thin metal border around them. Nothing special about them. They do the task, reflect your face and body back to you, and that’s about it. So when I came across some beautifully designed mirrors, they totally piqued my interest! Called the Wander Mirrors, these unique mirrors were designed by AC/AL Studio for Petite Friture.

Designer: AC/AL Studio for Petite Friture

Designed by Parisian studio AC/AL Studio for Petite Friture, these innovative mirrors feature transparent two-toned glass frames that cast out a stunning colorful halo on its surroundings. The mirrors are mounted through a unique hanging system, allowing them to sit at a slight distance from the wall, which enables light to pass through the stained-colored glass, projecting the colors on the wall the mirror is mounted on.

“The collection evokes a sense of freedom of the mind through its graphic lines and visually fun style. The transparent glass of the mirror adorns a meticulous bicolor print showcasing unique shades and original shapes,” said Petite Friture. The Wander Collection includes mirrors in three different sizes, so you can pick a size that works for your bathroom. The mirrors are available in two-tone colors – emerald with cherry, vermillion with khaki, and brick-red with purple. The varying color shades perfectly contrast one another, creating a stunning visual. In the middle of each pane, the colored glass effortlessly merges into a mirrored glass.

The size of the mirrors affects this section, which takes on a different shape. For example – for the larger rectangular Wander mirrors an elongated pill-shaped mirrored glass is used, whereas, for the smaller mirrors, ornate frames are utilized. The end result is whimsical and playful mirrors that will brighten up any bedroom/living room/bathroom they are placed into, adding a fun and exquisitely designed element to what would have been an otherwise boring old space.

The post These colorful two-toned mirrors are the playful element your bedroom, living room & bathroom need first appeared on Yanko Design.

Getting back to the basics is always fun, especially if it involves heading outdoors, soaking up some sun, and enjoying the best of what nature has to offer. If you’re someone who loves camping and embarking on outdoor adventures, then you definitely need a few outdoor essentials by your side once you leave your house! You need products that help you get down and dirty, live life on the road, and tackle the moodiness of the elements. And, we’ve put together a collection of handy, reliable, and trustworthy outdoor gear that are the sidekicks you need next time you go on an outdoor adventure. From an Edison bulb-inspired flashlight that emits a warm glow to Sirius OUTDOOR AR-enabled smart ski goggles that are designed to change the world of snow sports – these fun and functional outdoor designs are all you need for your next adventure trip!

1. Sirius AR Goggles

Stepping in with a heads-up display of sorts, Zurich-based Ostloong has designed and developed the Sirius smart goggles that incorporate AR and AI in one successful unit. This brings smartphone notifications, slope details, and other vital information right in front of the skier’s eyes without impacting their field of view.

Why is it noteworthy?

As the first-ever advanced ski goggles that offer the adventurist an augmented reality experience with rich color display and detailed output, Sirius is the only eyewear combining AR and AI for outdoor sports.

What we like

• Ensures safety and allows one to communicate while moving on the snow mountain, skiing or snowboarding

What we dislike

• Given the size of the goggles, it may be difficult to keep them in place for users with smaller facial features

2. The Microtech Exocet Dagger

With a tiny 1.94-inch blade, the Microtech Exocet Dagger is actually legal to carry in most states, making it the perfect EDC to have on you at all times. The dagger features an OTF-style (out-the-front) drop-point blade made from CTS 204P steel that’s perfect for piercing and carving outdoors and doing things like opening boxes indoors.

Why is it noteworthy?

The blade retracts into the Exocet’s rather comfortably compact aircraft-grade aluminum handle, which also has a pocket clip on one side that doubles up as a money clip, letting you carry your cards and cash with you. I imagine taking out your money for a mugger would be a pretty interesting event, given that your de facto wallet also doubles as a blade!

What we like

• It’s also the relatively wide pocket clip on its side, which Microtech designed to also double as a money clip, giving you a safe and secure place to store your Benjamins

What we dislike

• We wish it had at least one additional function to make a multitool EDC

3. The Quasar Portable Lamp

A pretty cool and unique lamp design I recently came across is the Quasar portable lamp. Designed by Samy Rhio and Petite Friture, the Quasar portable lamp, is designed to be a ‘nomadic lamp’.

Why is it noteworthy?

French designer Samy Rhio designed this nomadic lamp to enable users to carry it around, allowing it to illuminate any space they go to. They can hang the nifty lamp using a multicolored strap that will remind you of a climbing rope.

What we like

• The lamp has been equipped with a five-meter-long woven rope that is attached to the top of the lamp, making it a portable design that can be transferred from one location to another

What we dislike

• Not sure if the lamp is durable enough to withstand extreme weather conditions

4. The Edison Light Stick

Inspired by the vintage lantern, the Edison Light Stick from Barebones is a multifunctional flashlight on Huckberry, that would be super helpful on all your outdoor adventures. It emits a warm glow that is great in emergencies and functions as a direct light for essential tasks like preparing food or fetching water.

Why is it noteworthy?

The lantern-inspired light glows warmly is multifunctional and can instantly uplift the mood in the camp or double as a reading light for those who still love catching on some good old reading during their camping trips. The glass tube body of the Edison Light Stick features brass and copper construction on top and bottom, while leather accents complete its handsome look.

What we like

• Equipped with seven different light modes so you can have your ideal ambiance anytime, anywhere!
• Exquisite brass and copper construction accentuated with leather accents

What we dislike

• The price tag is a little hefty compared to similar products on the market

5. Supernova

GravaStar who’ve surprised geeks with mecha-inspired Bluetooth speakers in the recent past have added another sci-fi speaker cum LED lamp to their line-up. Dubbed Supernova, the accessory looks like a three-legged robot, something anyone would want to sport in their geeky den.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Bluetooth speaker besides looking really inviting to own, fairs well when it comes to the overall build quality, functionality, and hardware specifications. It is crafted out of a solid zinc alloy metallic body standing on GravaStar’s iconic tripod legs that we saw in their previous designs. The accessory with a 3-inch full-range speaker has 25 watts of power, 90db of output, and half-inch high-frequency tweeter for rich, crisp sound delivery.

What we like

• In the music-playing mode, this light can synch to the rhythm of the audio for partygoers

What we dislike

• Could get easily damaged in the outdoors

6. The Gerber Stake Out

The Gerber Stake Out is a nifty multitool that’s perfect for all the outdoor adventures you undertake! It measures just 4.5 inches in the closed position and a maximum of 6.6 inches when the knife is being used. The super cool multi-tool conceals 11 tools and helps you with almost everything – from setting up a campfire to cooking a meal in the wilderness. The Scandi grind blade features a bottle opener, awl, Ferro rod striker, saw, file, and a pair of scissors.

Why is it noteworthy?

There’s a tent stake puller for packing and getting the gear ready after setting camp during the nighttime. This is a very useful tool for campers as they can pack up tents in a way quicker time than normal. So, in a way, this utility is the USP of this multitool without any question. Add to the mix a ruler and pop-out tweezers, and you’ve got an all-purpose multitool convenient enough to carry with you all the time.

What we like

• 11 tools concealed in 1 multi-tool
• Economically priced

What we dislike

• Made from Graphite, we would love to see more material options in this multitool

7. The Batch #003: PARTS Multipurpose Tool

The Leatherman knives have been widely loved by outdoorsmen for ages galore! The knives’ durability and ability to stay sharp for life make them an absolute fan favorite amongst adventure lovers.  And their latest interesting launch is the Batch #003: PARTS multipurpose tool with its unique set of features. A folding knife at heart, the multitool ventures into the world of interchangeable blade options for an EDC.

Why is it noteworthy?

According to Leatherman, their motive is to create the best folding knife out there from the current inventory of products in-house. The result is a multipurpose tool crafted out of 26 parts. It gets an innovative interchangeable blade system to swap compatible blades for the needed task at hand. All this while being ergonomically comfortable and highly functional to the last bit. The EDC gets the G10 handle for a better grip.

What we like

• The knife can be swapped between the premium S30V stainless steel work blade for hardcore tasks or the 154CM blade tailored for normal household tasks
• Crafted from 26 parts

What we dislike

• Has a rather hefty price tag

8. The Tomori Lantern Kit

The Tomori Lantern Kit is really quite interesting because rather than providing us with a ready-made lantern, it functions as a kit that lets you create and set up your own lantern, and then swiftly put it aside when you’re done using it. Once the lantern collapses, it barely occupies any space, and you can fit a conventional flashlight inside it!

Why is it noteworthy?

The base of the kit is a foldable cardboard piece that serves as the flashlight holder and stable structure of the lamp. The kit comes with a rather nondescript LED flashlight that you can use on its own when not docked inside the lantern. In fact, the cardboard base can hold any cylindrical flashlight that is less than 30mm in diameter and 160mm in length. This means that you can use the same flashlight for the lantern as well as for typical uses, or you can have a set of backup flashlights when one’s battery goes empty.

What we like

• The entire kit, excluding the flashlight, folds down to a flat A4-sized package, perfect for stashing in bags or drawers, ready for use in an emergency
• Quite fun to put together and set up your own lantern

What we dislike

• Cannot withstand rain

9. The SHARGE Concept

If you’re someone who loves embarking on adventures in the outdoors but are tired of always carrying portable power generators that sometimes can be more like excessive baggage than functional essentials, then the SHARGE concept is what you need!

Why is it noteworthy?

If you’re a camping fan, for example, you might want something that doesn’t exactly look like rugged tanks but at least has ties to your favorite hobby. It’s not by coincidence, then, that the SHARGE was designed to mimic the ridges you’d find on camping boxes. While the design is already visually appealing in itself, the structure also helps diffuse the force of impact, giving it a bit of ruggedness as well.

What we like

• MagSafe-compatible
• Rates high on aesthetics

What we dislike

• It’s still a concept!

10. The EcoFlow River 2

As with any second-generation product, the EcoFlow River 2 has been able to learn from the lessons of its predecessors. Given the gap between the first and second EcoFlow Rivers, there has definitely been plenty of lessons to serve as the foundations of a better product. Fortunately, EcoFlow did seem to have benefited from hindsight, allowing it to turn the River 2 into a sleeker and more compact power station that no longer looks like a car battery.

Why is it noteworthy?

The biggest change you will notice comparing the two generations is that the River 2 has a more refined appearance thanks to its dual-tone color scheme and flat top. The large carrying handle no longer arcs over the top but instead juts out from the back. That makes it easier to stash the power station away in cramped spaces and put things on top of it. Having the handle extend to one side only also reduces the space it needs to occupy. This helps give the box a cleaner look, but relocating the carrying handle does have its share of consequences as well.

What we like

• It will take more than 3,000 charging cycles (zero to full) before it starts to lose its full capacity

What we dislike

• No wireless charging
• Carrying the EcoFlow River 2, however, might be difficult for some other purpose. With the carrying handle now at the back, the box’s center of gravity is changed when you lift it up

The post Top 10 essential gear you need when you embark on your next outdoor adventure first appeared on Yanko Design.

Architecture studio SDA has completed the Floating House, a concrete-framed home on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City that is elevated above ground to mitigate the impacts of flooding.

The home occupies a verdant site in the Thu Duc district that is often flooded by a nearby river, requiring Vietnamese studio SDA to elevate its lowest level above ground by one metre.

Floating House is distinguished by its exposed concrete frame, designed to balance the client’s desire for a feeling of openness to the site’s lush gardens with the need for protection from the elements.

While parts of the Floating House are enclosed by wood-framed windows, around 70 per cent of its spaces are left open to the outside, including cantilevering balconies and a rooftop terrace.

“We composed the house as three slabs floating above the ground,” explained SDA.

“The gap between each floor creates a diversity of spaces indoors and outdoors. Each slab is extended toward the garden, cantilevering in multiple directions, and serves as a terrace or outdoor space, an eave for an opening, and a roof to cover an outdoor staircase,” it continued.

Floating House’s three levels are connected by external staircases, sheltered by overhanging floor plates and finished with slender metal balustrades.

The internal spaces are set back within the concrete frame, surrounded by folding glass doors with dark-wood frames. These allow the rooms to be opened onto the terraces, with the only fully enclosed space being the bathroom.

On the lower floor is the bedroom, which is connected to a kitchen, living and dining area on the floor above by a private, internal spiral staircase.

Wooden panelling defines the bedroom, while a tiled floor in the living area extends outside, blurring the boundary with the surrounding terrace.

Atop the dwelling, a paved terrace wrapped by a slender metal balustrade provides further seating and outdoor cooking spaces, while a building’s plant room is concealed by a low, white section of wall.

“In Vietnam, where everything is packed tightly together, including people and things, we believe it is essential to design outdoor spaces that serve as ‘blank spaces’,” explained the studio.

“This house focuses on the active outdoor life in Vietnam, with a new frame and structural design to realise it,” it continued.

Thu Duc in Vietnam was also the site of the latest project by local studio Vo Trong Nghia Architects, which completed its own office with an exterior of concrete planters for vegetables, fruits and herbs.

SDA, or Sanuki Daisuke Architects, is a studio founded by architect Sanuki Daisuke in Ho Chi Minh City in 2011. Its previous projects include an apartment block with a screen of decorative terracotta blockwork.

The photography is by Hiroyuki Oki.

Project credits:

Architect: SDA
Team: Sanuki Daisuke, Nguyen Huynh Bao Ngoc
Structural engineer: Thanh Cong Construction Design Company 
ME engineer: Hung Viet Tst Corp
Contractor: Coppha Builders Construction Co.

The post SDA completes flood-resilient concrete house in Vietnam appeared first on Dezeen.

Designer Miles Pennington and DLX Design Lab of the University of Tokyo have designed a public toilet in Japan that can be used as an exhibition space, cinema, pop-up kiosk, information centre or meeting place.

Pennington, who is a professor of design-led innovation at the University of Tokyo and the DLX Design Lab, designed the toilet as a community space at the intersection of three roads in the Hatagaya district of Tokyo.

“This is a community space that happens to have toilets too,” said Pennington.

“We would love the community in Sasazuka and Hatagaya to make use of the space, as a gallery, a meeting location, or whatever they would like it to be. Bring it to life and as far as the toilets are concerned, let nature take its course!”

The toilets are arranged around a large covered area that the designers envision as a multi-functional space.

Within it are expansive white walls, designed to hang artworks or display films projected from an overhead projector.

To allow this open space to be used by the community in a variety of ways, the team designed a seating system that can easily be adapted.

A series of bollard-like structures are embedded within the ground and can be raised and connected with long timber-covered sections to create benches in various formations.

Surrounding the covered space, the team created three triangular structures that contain the toilet facilities.

A male toilet occupies the right-hand triangle, while unisex cubicles that contain changing stations were placed on the left-hand side and rear.

Pennington hopes that creating a community space within the toilet block will give the building additional meaning.

“Public toilets can often become underused, lose their value to people and gradually forgotten,” he said. “To try and reverse that trend we created this toilet.”

“We hope that it will be used as an exhibition space, pop-up kiosk, small information centre or a cozy meeting space, and become the centre of the local community,” he continued.

The toilet was created as part of the Tokyo Toilet project, which is run by the non-profit Nippon Foundation and will see 17 public toilets built in the city.

Previous toilets include structures by three Pritzker Architecture Prize winners. Shigeru Ban designed a pair of transparent blocks, Tadao Ando created a circular toilet and Fumihiko Maki built a toilet with a “cheerful roof”.

The photography is by Satoshi Nagare, courtesy of the Nippon Foundation.

The post Miles Pennington creates Tokyo toilet to be “centre of the local community” appeared first on Dezeen.